Improvement in spark-arresters



T. J. MCMAHON.

sPARKARREsTER.

Patented Sept. 12, 1876.

.c .......Lllvhfn ATTORNEYS PATENT Grauenc TRRENOE J. MGMAHON, OF GOLDEN CITY, COLORADO.

IMPROVEMENT IN SPARK-ARRESTERS.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 182,214, dated September 12, 1876; application filed July 29,1876.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TERRENGE J. MoMA- HON, of Golden City, in the county of Jederson and State of Colorado, have invented a new and valuable Improvement in Spark- Arresters; and I do hereby declare Athat the followingis a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same,

reference being had to the annexed drawings,

making a part of this specification, and to .the letters and figures of reference marked there on.

Figure l of the drawings is a representation of a longitudinal vertical section of my sparkarrester, and Fig. 2 .is a detail view of the same. v

The object of this invention is to provide a sparkarrester for the smoke-stacks of v steamengines which will eii'ectually arrest and eX- tinguish the sparks ying upward among' the products of combustion without interfering with the draft, and which will also promote economy in the consumption of fuel.

The nature of said invention consists in certainimprovements in spark-arresters, hereinafter particularly described.

In the accompanying drawings, 'A designates the main pipe or smoke-line, through which the products of combustion are carried upward by the exhaust steam. Said smokeflue A is screwthreaded on its outer surface at a, to receive an internally screw-threaded ring, b, which forms the bottom of stack-head B. Said stack-head consists of a cylindrical portion, Bl, which surrounds a part of smokeflue A like a-sleeve, leavinga sparkreceivin g chamber, C, of cylindrical form, between said portion B1 ofthe stack-head and said smoke-flue A; also, of an inclined bottom portion, B2, which connects the lower end of said cylindrical portion B1 with bottom ring B, and forins an inclined floor for cinder-receiving chamber C; also, of two conoidal hollow portions, B3 B4, thelower one, B3, of which rests on the top of cylindrical portion Bl,` and dares upward, while the upper conoid B4 ares downward with its outer rim resting on the upper edge of B3; and, finally, of an annular upper ange, B5, surmounted by a turned rim, B6. The parts b B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, and B6 are all made in one piece, and of iron, copper, brass,

or other suitable material, according to the uses for which the engine is designed. The above-described construction produces a stack-head of very neat and attractive ex? ternal appearance, and one which is susceptible of considerable ornament. desirable in case of engines used on passenger railway-trains.

.D 1) D designate screw-threaded rods,

Lder lower cup or cone E, and nutsfff, which set under upper cone F. Said rods pass through perforations in said cups or cones, the sides of which perforations so bind against said rods as to materially assist in the support of said cups or cones. Lower cup or cone" E is provided with a central perforation, E', and upper cup or cone F is provided with, a downwardly-extendin g weighted pointed bar, F', which sets into perforation E', and the point of which passes a little below the same, so as to complete the inner deiiecting-curve of said lower cup or cone. Said bar operates, also, by its weight to prevent the displacement of said cups or cones by wind or other accidental cause. Lower cup or cone E sets down nearly to the top of smoke-flue A, leav-v ing a space, G, between the two, and also an annular side exit, g. Said cup E also sets into a space, H, which is bounded exteriorly by flaring portions B3 B4 of stack-head B, and which communicates with cylindrical space C. The lower part of upper inverted cup or cone F sets within annular flange B5, leaving an annular exit, I, between the outside of said cone and the inside of upper rim B6. of stackhead B. The upper part of said upperinverted cup F extends entirely above said stack-head, and adds to the ornamental appearance thereof. 'Additional nuts e e e are screwed home above cup E, to hold it in place, and additional nuts f f f are screwed home above uppercup or cone F, to hold it in place.

In the inclined part B2 of stack-head B are discharge-pipes J J, each of which is slotted at right angles to its length, to allow the play of a slide, K, which'is rigidly Iattached to a,

lever, L, pivoted to the side of discharge-pipe This would be 2 l lll J. By operating said lever from-the cab of the engine, said discharge-pipe can be closed or opened at will.

All the above-described parts of my apparatus are preferably made of metal, though in the case of lever L, and, perhaps, some others, a different material might be substituted.

The operation of my device is as f'ollows: The exhaust steam carries the products of combustion up smoke-flue A, causing an upward current of air, smoke, steam, cinders, and-sparks. Said current then comes in contact with the curved face formed bythe pointed end of bar F and the under side of lower cup E, which face, by reason of its peculiar shape, will cause eddies and counter-currents in space G, as that part of the current which is deflected outward from the point of bar F will come into collision with the part of said current, which is deliected inward from the inside of cup E. Said current then escapes from space G through narrow annular exit g into space H. It is next deflected from the inside of conoidal portion B4 of stack-head B into the hollow of upper cone or cup F. There it is again deflected inward by said cup, and outward by central bar F, which action produces more eddies and counter-currents in and below said cup.

through narrow annular exit I; but the sparks are previously nearly all extinguished by successively impinging against so 4many surfaces, and in the end most of them fall into space C, at the bottom of which they lie until the dis- At last said current escapes charge-pipes J J are opened, when theyv fall to the ground. Even if some sparks of fire still remain in them, they will no longer prove an annoyance, as the elevation of said discharge-pipes above the ground is not sufficient to allow said sparks to get aiioat in the air again. The lower deflecting cup or conc E may be perforated, if preferred; but in this case the course of the ascending air, steam, and smoke current will be somewhat changed, and the action of the cups and stack-head on the sparks will be correspondingly modified.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. vThe combination of lower inverted cup vhereunto subscribed my name in the presence" of two witnesses.

TERRENGE J. MGMAHON. Witnesses:

J. M. JOHNSON, Jr., A. H. DE FRANCE. 

